Health

Updated: 2026-08-16 2:04s PM CDST

All links below worked as of 2065-08-16
Report any linkrot to me ASAP
epkardas@saumag.edu

Now that you are in college, SAU wants you to remain healthy and safe. So, this page contains information to keep you in school and on the path to graduation.

• Covid-19
  • Current Status: Notice that Arkansas data is unavailable on this site.
    • Symptoms (there is a wide range)
      • Fever and chills
      • Cough
      • Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
      • Fatigue
      • Muscle or body aches
      • Headache
      • Loss of taste or smell
      • Sore throat
      • Runny nose or congestion
      • Nausea or vomiting
      • Diarrhea
      • Would anyone like to comment on their Covid infection or others they have witnessed?
    • Action
      • Report to SAU Health Office in Reynolds Hall
      • 870 235 5254
      • They will tell you what to do next
• Sexual Violence
  • SAU will present similar information to all seminars later in the semester. To me, that is too late.
  • Changing Times and Mores
    • Boys
      • In the past, more likely to spend time outside of the house
      • Today, "scheduled" time: sports, music, and other activities
    • Girls
      • In the past, more likely to spend time at home
      • Today, also more "scheduled" time
    • Personal
      • In my family we allowed the two boys to walk to Middle School (0.8 miles)
      • We never allowed our daughter to walk to Middle School
    • Technology
      • The Internet and smartphones have changed the world markedly
        • Pornography
        • Sexting
        • Lowered teen dating and pregnancy
    • Reflect
      • Were your parents worried about you when outside the home?
      • Did they restrict your activities? How?
  • Relationship violence training at SAU:
    • SAU usually schedules sessions on relationship violence for all seminar sections. I'll let you know when those will be for us.
    • Inspired by the murders of Julie Hartsfield, Dana Hill, and Autumn Hartsfield.
  • Common
    • Usually victim and assailant know each other (date rape)
    • Underreported
    • Crime of violence
    • Often caused by mutual misunderstanding
  • Consent
    • Part of communication
    • "No" means no
    • Nafisa Ahmed on consent
      • $5
    • Laci Green on consent (YouTube)
    • Blackouts (scroll down to video)
      • Jose Cuervo (Shelly West)
        • Country music song on blackouts
    • Illicit video recording (against the law in Arkansas)
      • Do you want to be shown on social media while drunk?
  • Prevention for women
    • High positive correlation with drinking
    • Set limits early
    • Use the buddy system
    • Make your intentions known early
    • Make a scene
    • Learn self defense
  • Prevention for men
    • Change mindset (these recommendations are absurd or extremely tongue-in-cheek, but that is the point)
    • See Clark & Hatfield (1989), Gender differences in receptivity to sexual offers.
      • Research confederate students asked fellow students of the opposite sex they did not know the following questions:
        • Would you go out tonight?
        • Would you come over to my apartment?
        • Would you go to bed with me?
      • "The great majority of men were willing to have a sexual liaison with the women who approached them."
      • "Not one woman agreed to a sexual liaison."
    • Message? Men and women think differently
    • It's on Us
      • Long report on
      • Their conclusion (in part and reformatted):
        • "Finally, building relationships between male-and-non-male-identifying students is key
          to preventing objectification.
        • Men with strong ties to women and other non-male-identifying
          people in their life felt more responsibility toward others and anger at other men who
          perpetrate violence.
        • Ensuring that men, women, and gender nonconforming students are fully
          integrated on campus helps ensure that non-male identifying students are seen as more than
          objects.
        • A key way to implement this would be to encourage co-ed clubs, such as intramural
          sports, and decrease the number of single-sex activities on campus."

  Title IX

  • History (Department of Justice)--scroll down to see graphs
    • Number of men and women earning bachelor's degrees
    • Male and female participation in high school athletics
  • SAU and Title IX
    • Cornell University: "Intervene" Bystander Campaign (19:47)
      • See something/Say something!
  • SAU Complaint Form
    • Hopefully, you will not need to ever file one, but here it is.
  • Supreme Court and Title IX (August 2024)
    • "The Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision denied the Biden administration’s emergency request to partially reinstate its new Title IX rule. 
    • The sweeping changes to Title IX, which protects against sex discrimination in schools, cover sexual orientation and gender identity for the first time.
    • Various Republican state attorneys general have persuaded judges to block implementation in roughly half the country."
  • Trump Administration Changes to Title IX
  • AAUP on Title IX Abuse
  • Title IX covers:
    • Harassment (sexual or gender based)
    • Sexual assault
    • Rape (including date rape)
    • Sexual exploitation
    • Intimate partner violence (including dating violence)
    • Stalking
    • Retaliation
    • Problems during pregnancy
  • SAU Crime Reports 

CONTRACEPTION AND STERILIZATION

• Erotophobia, Erotophilia and Contraception
  • Five steps of contraceptive use
    • acquire accurate knowledge
    • acknowledge likelihood of engaging in intercourse
    • obtain the contraceptive
    • communicate with partner about contraception
    • use method of contraception
  • Erotophobics (definition)
    • do not discuss sex
    • high levels of guilt
    • fear of sex disapproval
    • infrequent intercourse
    • few partners
    • not likely to use contraception
  • Erotophilics (definition)
    • discuss sex
    • little guilt about sex
    • more frequent intercourse
    • more partners
    • aroused by erotic films
    • likely to use contraception
• Success Rates of Contraception
  • Lowest observed failure rate (theoretical rate)
    • this the rate typically reported in controlled studies of the method
  • Failure rate for typical users (actual rate)
    • this is the rate reported 'in the field' (i.e., forgetting to take pill)
• Methods
  • Birth control pills
    • prevent ovulation by causing high levels of estrogen
    • progestin also used to make thicker cervical mucus, discourage implantation
    • failure rates from .1 to 3%
      • FYI, our daughter in law is expecting her second child in January 2024 even though she was on BC pills
    • side effects similar to pregnancy
    • several types of pill
      • combination pill (estrogen and progestin)
      • biphasic (estrogen and two levels of progestin)
      • progestin only (mini pills)
    • side effects
      • blood clotting
      • higher blood pressure
      • vaginitis, gonorrhea
      • nausea
      • weight gain
      • water retention
      • no evidence of cancer causation
  • Norplant (picture)
    • implanted in skin
    • lasts up to six years
    • most effective method of all (0.09% actual)
  • Depo-Provera (picture)
    • progestin injections
    • last up to 90 days
    • amenorrhea
    • 6-12 months for full reversibility
  • IUDs (picture)
    • Now recommended for nulliparous women (women who have never had a baby)
    • device inserted into uterus
    • unknown method of contraceptive action
    • T-shaped IUDs are only type still available in US
    • Dalkon shield case
    • effective method (1.5 -5% failure rate)
    • side effects
      • PIDs
      • increased menstrual cramps
      • pain on insertion 
    • History of IUDs
  • Diaphragm (picture of one and of sponge)
    • individually fitted rubber dome
    • used with spermicide
    • mechanical action
    • effectiveness depends of user (2-18% failure rate)
    • few side effects
    • loss of spontaneity
    • moderate cost
    • reversible method
  • Cervical Cap (picture)
    • similar to diaphragm in action
    • used with spermicide
    • higher failure rate for multiparous women (women you have had more than one child) (36%)
  • Contraceptive Sponge (picture)
    • similar to diaphragm and cervical cap
    • includes spermicide
    • worn for up to 12 hours
    • toxic shock syndrome possible if not removed 
      • toxic shock definition
  • Condom
    • Male (picture)
      • only reversible male method
      • method that reduces chances of AIDS infection
      • failure rate 2-10%, better with spermicide
    • Female (picture)
      • newer device
      • reduces chances if AIDS infection
      • relatively high failure rate (21%)
  • Spermicides
    • not for use as primary method (25% failure rate)
  • Douching
    • not a contraceptive method
  • Withdrawal
    • also not an effective contraceptive method (19%)
    • only last minute (second?) method
  • Rhythm (fertility awareness) (picture)
    • Catholics: only permissible method for American Catholics
    • kits available but used also for fertility enhancement (for couples seeking to become pregnant)
• Sterilization
  • In Arkansas, sterilizations are on the rise
  • Male
    • Vasectomy (picture)
      • Vasectomies are relatively cheap
      • Vasectomy reversals are not
  • Female
    • Minilaparotomy (picture)
    • Laparoscopy (picture)
• Abortion
  • Controversial topic, Roe v. Wade repealed in 2022
  • News:
    • During pandemic the FDA allowed physicians to mail abortion pills (mifepristone) to patients
    • Now laws are changing about chemical abortion
    • Tracking abortion bans across the USA
  • Methods
    • Vacuum aspiration
    • Dilation and evacuation
    • Induced labor
    • Hysterotomy
  • Psychological Aspects
    • most women have positive outcomes
• New Methods of Contraception
  • RU-486 or methotrexate and mifepristone (article)
    • 'morning after' pill
    • not really contraception
    • controversy over use in US
• SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES (STDs)
• Chlamydia (NGU) (CDC Fact Sheet)
  • Bacterium--Chlamydia trachomatis is the cause, many cases (4 million/year)
  • Symptoms
    • clear discharge, mild discomfort on urination
    • can be asymptomatic
  • Treatment
    • does not respond to penicillin
    • azithromycin or doxycycline used
    • failure to treat can lead to complications including pelvic inflammatory disease
• HPV (human papilloma virus, genital warts) CDC Fact Sheet
  • around 3 million new cases/year
  • Diagnosis
    • warts near urethra, on penis, or vulva
    • appearance is diagnostic
  • Treatment
    • podophyllum or tricholoroacetic acid
    • liquid nitrogen
    • laser therapy
    • all need to be repeated, virus remains in body
    • interferon
    • Gardasil 9
      • Should I Get HPV Vaccine?
• Genital Herpes (CDC Fact Sheet)
  • virus--Herpes simplex II (Herpes simplex I usually non-genital, but oral sex...)
  • Symptoms
    • painful bumps or blisters
    • last a few weeks, then dormant
    • four recurrences/year is average
    • stress can cause recurrence
    • fatal for infants
  • Treatment
    • none
    • acyclovir eases pain and shrinks sores
    • pain and sores milder after time
• HIV Infection and AIDS
  • First cases in 1981 in San Francisco Gay community
  • AIDS virus identified in 1984 by Gallo and/or Montagnier
  • HIV-1--most cases, HIV-2--found mostly in Africa
  • An Epidemic?
    • AIDS Fact Sheet
    • But, as a disease, fragile virus, transmitted under special conditions
  • Transmission
    • AIDS is transmitted via:
      • sexual intercourse (vaginal or anal)
      • contaminated blood
      • contaminated needles
      • to infant during childbirth
    • Risks are greatest:
      • in anal intercourse
      • with more partners
      • with risky partner (HIV positive, IV drug user, hemophiliac)
      • for heterosexual females
  • The Disease
    • HIV infection stages
      • initial infection--no symptoms, antibodies within 2 to 8 weeks
      • asymptomatic carrier--7 to 9 years
      • lymphdenopathy--swollen lympth nodes, night sweating, fever, loss of weight, diarrhea, fatigue
      • AIDS--infected by life-threatening opportunistic infections, T4 cell count drops
  • Diagnosis
    • HIV Diagnosis (Mayo Clinic)
      • "HIV is most commonly diagnosed by testing your blood or saliva for the presence of antibodies to the virus."
  • Treatment
    • HIV genetic resistance?
      • A very small minority have a mutation that prevents HIV infection. They lack the CCR-5 gene.
    • AIDS Vaccine News
    • Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), thanks to John-Haydin McElyea
      • What is PEP?
      • CDC on PEP
• Gonorrhea (the Clap, the Drip) (CDC Fact Sheet)
  • Oldest of STDs, usually occurs from vaginal intercourse
  • Symptoms
    • bacterial inflammation of urethra
    • clear discharge at first
    • changes to purulent discharge
    • burning sensation on urination
    • females can be asymptomatic and, if untreated, can lead to complications
  • Diagnosis
    • make a bacterial culture
  • Treatment
    • treat with penicillin or tetracycline
    • resistant strains require ceftriaxone
  • Eddie Murphy on VD 5 minutes (language warning, do not open if you are offended by dirty language)
• Syphilis (CDC Fact Sheet)
  • Since 1400s, could be West to East migrant, caused by Treponema pallidum
  • Symptoms
    • chancre--primary stage
    • body rash--variable, painless--secondary stage
    • no symptoms--latent stage
    • cardiovascular or neural symptoms--tertiary stage (10-40 years after infection)
  • Diagnosis
    • blood tests (VDRL)
  • Treatment
    • large doses on long-acting antibiotics, especially penicillin
• Viral Hepatitis (CDC Index)
  • liver disease
  • five types: A, B, C, D, E (A, B, and C are most common)
  • type B transmitted via sexual means
    • blood, semen, other bodily fluids
  • vaccine for type B
• Pubic Lice (crabs) (picture)
  • lice (e.g., the true meaning of "lousy")
  • transmitted via sexual or other contact
  • use special shampoos
  • nits? They are the eggs of lice. Hard to remove, thus the word "nitpicking"
• Other Infections
  • Vaginitis (Mayo Clinic)
    • Monilia--yeast infection
    • Trichomoniasis--STD
    • Nonspecific Vaginitis
    • Cystitis--E. coli
    • Prostatitis--E. coli
  • Prevention
    • wash and dry vulva
    • do not use feminine products
    • wear cotton underwear
    • wear loose clothing
    • reduce sugar and carbohydrates in diet
    • wipe from front to back
    • douche with vinegar
• Whew! Now you know. Be safe!
• Knowledge is power!

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